This bird species is renowned for its strong fidelity, having only one partner throughout its lifetime. This is the Northern Bald Ibis, scientific name: Geronticus eremita.
(The Northern Bald Ibis is sometimes referred to simply as the bald ibis in the context of this article).
After the Northern Bald Ibis disappeared from Europe over 300 years ago due to hunting, habitat loss, and pesticide use, many believed that people would never again witness the vibrant plumage and long, curved beak of this bird.
Fortunately, in the 1990s, thanks to persistent conservation efforts in Morocco (a North African country) – after biologists discovered a pair of surviving ibises in the wild – this bird was effectively “reborn” and became one of the rarest bird species in the world. At that time, there were only 59 pairs of Northern Bald Ibises left globally.
Today, Morocco has helped increase the population of this species to over 500 individuals, prompting the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature) to change its status from Critically Endangered to Endangered in 2018.
At the end of September 2024, as part of a series on biodiversity protection, CNN published vibrant images of this seemingly extinct bird:
According to Animal Diversity, the Northern Bald Ibis is a faithful bird species, having only one partner for life. (Source: Ullstein bild/Getty Images).
The Northern Bald Ibis was once found across three continents: Europe (in the Alps), the Middle East, and North Africa. However, today, they occupy only a small fraction of their former range. Typically, these ibises gather to live and breed in flocks. They inhabit cliffs and rocky outcrops thousands of meters high, as well as inside castles and ruins in urban areas. They primarily feed on insects, worms, and larvae.
In this photo, a Northern Bald Ibis is foraging in Agadir, Morocco. (Photo: Bill Baston/imageBROKER/Shutterstock).
Morocco is home to the largest remaining wild population of the Northern Bald Ibis, partly due to their serious and persistent conservation efforts. The establishment of Souss-Massa National Park on the western coast of Morocco in 1991 has helped protect their nesting and foraging areas. In 1994, a research program was established to monitor endangered species. According to the IUCN, the ibis population in Morocco is non-migratory and is currently stable.
The lifespan of the Northern Bald Ibis is 10 to 15 years in the wild, but in captivity, they can live up to 40 years. (Photo: Waldrappteam Naturschutz & Forschung).
The Northern Bald Ibis population in the Middle East was once found in Turkey and Syria and was known for its extensive migratory route—a journey of thousands of miles to and from Ethiopia, flying over Eritrea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. However, this population has significantly declined and has become completely extinct in the wild.
In this 2008 photo, a caretaker (wearing a helmet with a fake bald ibis attached) looks out to sea at a Northern Bald Ibis reserve near Barbate de Franco, Spain. (Photo: Jose Luis Roca/AFP/Getty).
Previously, the Northern Bald Ibis also appeared in parts of Southern Europe until the 16th century. Reintroduction projects for this species to the continent are underway, including a project in Andalusia, Spain, that began in 2004.
(Photo: Waldrappteam Naturschutz & Forschung).
Another unique effort to reintroduce the ibis population in Austria and Germany is being led by Austrian biologist Johannes Fritz. In 2003, Johannes Fritz, along with his research and conservation team, the Waldrappteam, began releasing captive-bred birds back into the wild.
Inspired by the 1996 film Fly Away Home, in which a teenager leads a flock of migrating geese using an ultralight aircraft, Fritz conceived the idea of personally guiding a flock of ibises to migrate behind an ultralight plane from Germany to Italy. In this photo, a group of ibises flies alongside the Waldrappteam’s glider during their migration.
In this 2022 photo, a member of the Waldrapp team is guiding a Northern Bald Ibis into a crate before it is transported to an area in Germany near Lake Constance, where a modern flock of this species exists. (Photo: Felix Kästle/picture alliance/Getty Images).
According to the Waldrappteam, there have been 17 migrations since then—every August and September. In 2023, they changed the migration route to end in Spain instead of Italy due to environmental factors.
In this photo, a group of Northern Bald Ibises flies among the clouds during their migration from Germany to Southern Europe. (Photo: Waldrappteam Naturschutz & Forschung).
Today, most European birds no longer require human guidance. However, the Northern Bald Ibis still faces various threats. They primarily feed on insects, and pesticide use affects their food supply.
Poaching killed 17% of the total migrating ibises in Europe in 2023, and climate change is also impacting this species, forcing them to alter the timing of their migrations and adding further challenges along the way.
